Pickle

Sadly, we are down to one 4-H pig. We had pig weigh-in on Saturday when every 4-H pig is taken to a scale downtown to be weighed and tagged. Nicole's pig, Pickle, somehow hurt his back in the process. We talked to the vet yesterday and she said to give him aspirin and hope for the best. Last night he could no longer stand up. This morning he was dead.

It's always sad to lose an animal, but unfortunately, it's also part of the process of having animals. Nicole has been given the option of getting another pig or switching to a lamb project. Lamb was really what she wanted to take in the first place, so I think we'll be in the lamb business soon.

Rest in peace, Pickle.

Happy Mother's Day!

Not my favorite photo of myself, but one of the few I have with all three kids crowed around their mom. Don't I look refreshed and relaxed in this photo?

Those were the days.

I actually do miss them sometimes. Our kids are growing up too fast.

And then I think about how much I like sleeping through the night.......

Happy, happy mother's day to all my mother friends and family out there!

Lucky Number Thirteen

As I write this we have 10 kids running around our house. It's 9:30 pm Friday night and we've been birthday-partying for the past 6 hours. I'm tired, but I don't think the party is going to wind down for awhile!

I remember that I wanted at least one girl and I figured if my firstborn was a girl, I'd be all set! Everyone told me that they thought I was having a boy so I convinced myself of that too. It was such a thrill to hear the doctor say that we had a girl when you were born!

It seems impossible that it has been thirteen years already. I'm afraid time will move even faster as you mature into the beautiful young woman you are already becoming. I can't imagine life without you. You're so kind-hearted and easy-going. Thank you for your beautiful smile and great sense of humor.

Happy 13th Birthday, Nicole!!
I love you!

Young Scientists

One of the requirements of the federal grant that I coordinate for our school district is that the kids go on a campus tour every year. This year, I took 35 seventh graders to the University of Idaho in Moscow (my Alma Mater).

My dear friend, Candi, works at U of I. She's the Human Anatomy instructor. She graciously opened up her lab to us. (Thanks, Candi!!!) She had two fun activities planned. They made working lung models with balloons, straws and cups. They also learned a little about forensics. They learned how to look at a human tibia bone and tell if it was from a male or female, and how to measure the bone and calculate the original height of that person. Candi did a great job with the kids and the lessons fit right into what they're learning in science right now.

Our other fun stop was the Museum of Entomology. It's a room full of (dead) bugs and the guy who takes care of them. It doesn't sound as great as it was. It really was interesting. There are so many different bugs! There were also a few live insects.

That blurry green thing on Nicole's hand is a "walking stick" bug. And not your typical stick-like walking sticks that you might be familiar with. They are from New Zealand and they live in brambles and look very leaf like. The boys are brown and look like dead leaves and the girls are green. They are very cool in a buggy-sort-of-way!

Newsflash

Life is good on the home front. A little busy, but very good.

1. Glenn just finished his last track meet of the season. He coached 7th/8th grade girls and boys track for the first time this year and was in his element. He did an outstanding job with the kids and thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it. He can talk about track for hours. He can spend hours pouring over his clipboards full of track meet results.

2. I just got back from my second meeting for the Idaho Leads Project. They put us up in the fancy Coeur d'Alene resort again, but some of us got their less-fancy rooms. Sadly, I was one of those, but since I mostly just slept in the room, I tried not to be too bitter about it. Just a little bitter. At the first meeting they gave each of us a Kindle Fire. This time they gave each school district $5,000 to spend on something--anything--to improve their school. Now we have to figure out what that will be.

3. There are only 15 more school days left, but who's counting? The kids and I!

4. I am a college student again! I've been accepted at the University of the Southwest in New Mexico in their online program to get a Masters in Education as a School Counselor. I am registered for my very first graduate school class. It starts June 3, and it's called Educational Research. Sounds exciting, no? Maybe not. We'll see. Sounds scary. It's only been 16 years since I was in school and I've never taken an online course. Piece of cake.

Bloomsday, 2012

Glenn ran in Bloomsday again this year.  The past two years, the kids and I have tagged along for a  mini-vacation in Spokane with him.  This year, he had a track meet the day before so we were going to be in Spokane for less than 24 hours, so he was on his own.

The poor guy came down with a terrible cold just a day or two before the race, so I was impressed when his time was really close to last year's (just over an hour).  He said that lots of people were struggling with the heat, so he tried not too push himself so hard that he'd be unable to finish.

I considered walking it this year.  I walked it with friends a couple of times in college, but it is 7.5 miles which is quite a hike for my lazy-self.  Maybe next year......

Good job, Glenn!  I sure am proud of you!